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CSC Department of Education Mission & Philosophy

The mission of the Chadron State College Teacher Education program, founded on educating Visionary Leaders, is to prepare candidates to use current pedagogical methods that impact student learning in the candidate’s respective content area of study. Candidates will gain applicable knowledge and skills in the area of assessment, curriculum, guidance, diversity education, classroom management, professional issues, special education, psychology, literacy and instructional technology as part of this program.

Education in a democracy is accepted as the most important human activity for the maintenance, perpetuation, and advancement of the society. The Education Unit of Chadron State College is dedicated to the development of visionary leaders. The program recognizes the institutional responsibility of developing leadership that promotes collaborative engagement and advocacy to influence policy development to serve all constituents in our profession. The faculty within the Education Unit act upon a set of common beliefs that reflect the importance placed upon the preparation of qualified professional educators who will assume leadership roles within the local education community and the education profession at large.

Students within the Education Unit are valued as unique individual learners, each wanting to learn and also capable of making good learning decisions. Each student is a client to be served by the staff of CSC and in turn the student (Teacher Candidate) will serve others after graduation in their role as an educator.

We believe the educator’s role is to facilitate learning. The facilitation of learning is accomplished by creating opportunities for all learners to actively participate in the learning environment and to process knowledge through methods appropriate to their individual learning styles. Our model is based, to a great extent, on the constructivist theory of learning.

In so doing, various methods of instruction are planned to be consistent with sound theory and current research findings. The individual faculty member is free to use varied approaches and personalized techniques in instruction. In creating a non- threatening learning climate, allowances for the learning styles are encouraged and responded to through appropriate teaching styles and open communication among all participants. Learning is believed to be inherently joyful and efforts toward developing and maintaining this end are supported. The demands of the content of the subject are not diminished in the teaching effort which will produce the greatest positive change.